Hendriks, Red Sox finalize 2-year deal
Liam Hendriks grew up watching the Boston Red Sox a lot in Australia. He's happy he'll finally get a chance to pitch for them.
Boston and Hendriks finalized a $10 million, twoyear contract on Tuesday, a deal that includes a mutual option for 2026 and could be worth $30 million over three seasons.
“It's an exciting time, finally happening, and now we get to talk about it a little more,” Hendriks said. “It's one of the teams I followed a lot as a kid. It was one of the only ones that came on TV when I was back in Australia. The Red Sox and Cardinals are two teams that seemed to be on a lot.”
Hendriks gets $2 million this year and $6 million in 2025, and the option is for $12 million with a $2 million buyout.
He could earn $5 million in performance bonuses in 2025 for innings: $250,000 each for 30, 35, 40 and 45, $500,000 apiece for 50, 55, 60 and 65, and $1 million each for 70 and 75.
Hendriks could earn another $5 million in 2025 for games finished: $1 million each for 45, 50, 55, 60, and
65.
Hendriks is the reigning AL Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the mound last May 29 following being diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in December 2022.
His 2023 season ended after only five appearances when he was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation on June
12. That led to Tommy John surgery on Aug. 2.
“It hasn't been great,” he said of last season being shortened by the elbow injury. “I've been pitching through stuff, but that's how it is. That's what you're paid to do, you pitch through stuff.”
But he wanted to overcome the cancer scare and was determined to get back.
“I've said it before: I'm pretty sure I knew in my head, I knew it was gone before I even started my rehab assignment,” he said of the elbow injury. “But I refused to not get back. I would have pitched left-handed if I made it back last year.”
A three-time All-Star — with Oakland in 2019 and the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and '22 — Hendriks knows he brings a lot of energy to a clubhouse. Even manager Alex Cora noticed it right away.
“A lot of annoying sayings,” he said of himself. “Alex said this morning, `If you see a constant buzz around the clubhouse, it's because Liam hasn't shut up.' That's who I am.”
He hopes to be back in games near the trade deadline. He's just been playing catch so far.
“Everything is going well. They seemed pleased the way it's going,” he said of the team's training staff.
JUDGE'S TOE MAINTENANCE WILL BE `CONSTANT' >> Aaron Judge's big toe is more than a footnote for the New York Yankees.
Judge missed 42 games after tearing a ligament in his right big toe when he crashed into the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium last June 3, a big reason the Yankees fell from postseason contention.
“It's going to be I think a constant maintenance I think the rest of my career,” Judge said Tuesday. “Anything with injuries like that, you just got to stay on top of it so it doesn't flare up again.”
Judge returned July 28 and wound up hitting .262 with 37 homers and 75 RBIs in 106 games.
“I keep getting hurt in right field, so I think that's why they moved me to center field,” he said, drawing laughs at a news conference.
“I think it's about playing smarter,” he went on, “understanding the field, understanding the dimensions.”
JUNIS GETS $7 MILLION FROM BREWERS >> Right-hander Jakob Junis, 31, is guaranteed $7 million as part of his one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and could earn $12 million over two seasons. Junis gets a $4 million salary this year as part of the deal announced Feb. 7, and the agreement includes an $8 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout.
Junis was 4-3 with a career-best 3.87 ERA in four starts and 36 relief appearances for the Giants in 2023.
RAYS AGREE TO TERMS WITH ROSARIO >> The Tampa Bay Rays and veteran infielder Amed Rosario, 28, have agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press.